Time Running Out? Need to Find a Post Fast?

http://elkjerkyforthesoul.wordpress.com/list-of-blog-entries-by-subject-the-same-blog-post-may-appear-under-multiple-categories/

There Should Be A List — Post by Michael J. Findley

AiG (Answers in Genesis) has a webpage listing arguments Christians should not use because they are already disproved, weak, or there is not enough evidence.
http://www.answersingenesis.org/get-answers/topic/arguments-we-dont-use
Secular Humanists should make a similar list of arguments (reasoned positions, not heated debates) used against creationism which are already disproved, weak or lack evidence. The AiG list contains 29 separate arguments. If a Secularist would make a similar kind of list for fellow Secularists, it would be a much larger list.
Secularists routinely call me ignorant, uneducated (I have an earned M.A.), opposed to science, and many other things I will not repeat. While these statements are libel, I could honestly and legitimately make some of those charges about some of them. Instead, I will simply use the word silly. It is silly to repeat a thoroughly refuted argument. It is silly to be so uninformed that you do not understand the beliefs of someone you are attacking.

Since these people will likely just ignore any list I make of their own silliness, I will make a very brief list of what we believe. First, when we examine evidence, we understand that physical evidence requires several assumptions. First, that the physical “laws”, as science has chosen to call them, are constant. Just one example; a thermometer will always register the same temperature, assuming that the conditions are the same. Second, we understand that our knowledge is limited. No one has ever taken a core sample of the planet Jupiter. Nor is there a firm scientific definition of the word “breed” in animal husbandry. Third, it is not scientifically possible to dismiss the supernatural as not existing, since the supernatural cannot be measured with scientific instruments. A humorous examination of these problems is found in the illustrated book Motel of the Mysteries by David Macaulay.

These are some of the reasons why courts use witness testimony as the most reliable testimony. That does not mean that witness testimony should be accepted without question. Motives must be examined. The history of the witness (character) must be examined. The circumstances must be examined and witnesses compared. Also, physical (circumstantial) evidence, if it is strong enough, can overrule witness testimony.

We have examined the evidence and concluded that the Bible is the Word of God. (The New Evidence That Demands a Verdict by Josh McDowell.) Ancient written testimony on origins outside of the Word of God needs to be examined carefully, but is the next most reliable source of information. Even preschoolers know enough to ask “Were you there?” Physical evidence is open to interpretation and though it can be helpful, it is less reliable than written records outside of the Word of God.
“And God said to the angel of the presence: “Write for Moses from the beginning of creation till My sanctuary has been built among them for all eternity.” Book of Jubilees I:27
“And the angel of the presence spake to Moses according to the word of the Lord, saying: Write the complete history of the creation, how in six days the Lord God finished all His works and all that He created.” II:1

The Book of Jubilees has twenty-one copies among the Dead Sea Scrolls. Some Christians, such as the Coptic Church, believe that the Book of Jubilees is part of the Word of God. The first six days of creation, God was working, that is, inputting energy and matter. The laws of physics as we know them were not in place yet.
The original creation was the space/time continuum, as general relativity puts it, and matter. The original matter was all water. The earth was created out of water and by water. (2 Peter 3:5) or, as Genesis 1:1 puts it, In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. The Mayan book Written Leaves or the Popol Vuh says of the original creation “in the day and year of the clouds.” Berossus said about the original creation, “For the whole universe consisting of moisture…” A Polynesian creation myth says “In Whai-tua two existences without shape were formed: Maku (moisture), a male, and Mahora-nui-a-rangi (Great Expanse of Heaven), a female…”

Light was created on the first day, so there was no problem with plants. While plants need light, they are not required to have sunlight. Even without that light, plants were created on Day Three and the sun on Day Four. Less than twenty-four hours without sunlight is not a problem. People who claim that there is some problem are displaying their ignorance.

When the land was created, it was created out of water. This original creation of land had no life forms. Today we see the original creation of land as the lowest layers of sediment without fossils.

The entire universe, including sun, moon, planets, stars and all other celestial objects, were put in place on the fourth day. The photons of light allowing us to see them were put in place at the same time, allowing them to be visible the creatures on earth to see them.

All organisms were created by the end of the sixth day. The information about Adam and Eve in Chapter Two of Genesis provides additional complementary information, similar to several reporters writing accurately about the same story. Adam’s body was formed out of existing material directly by God. Adam was then was given life by God. Like Adam, Eve’s body was formed out of existing material. Even today, rib tissue can regenerate. The discussion between the serpent and Eve was neither an allegory nor a fairy tale, but a historical record. To reject the historical record of the Fall means there is no need for an atonement for sin. There is no need for a virgin-born sinless atoning sacrifice.

Adam, all creatures, plants, and the universe were created fully-formed and, by the end of Day Six, fully functional. We do not know if these trees had rings. Nor do we know if any of them survived the flood.

Water came up from the earth, watered the garden (park) of Eden, then split into four parts to water the earth. Geysers and hot springs are found all over the world. Perhaps the Garden of Eden was similar to Yellowstone Park today, with Yellowstone Lake and Yellowstone River.

For 1656 years the climate was, by our standards, mild and constant. This is what uniformitarians see in the fossil record and call the Devonian Period. There is much disagreement about the exact differences during the Antediluvian period compared to today, but we know that the huge creatures of this period, dragonflies with 52″ wingspans. and flying creatures with 45′ wingspans, could not fly today. The largest creatures of this period probably could not even walk today. It was a time of lush vegetation.

There is disagreement about a catastrophe with many changes sometime in the middle of the Antediluvian period. Numerous written documents claim that there was, but Bible does not say anything about such a catastrophe.

The four rivers coming out of Eden watered the earth. That made Eden the highest or at least one of the highest points on the single continent of the Antediluvian world. It also means that because the environment of Eden was comfortable for nudity, there were no high mountains like we have today. In the year 1656 AM, God sent a catastrophic flood which destroyed all land life on earth.

According to every document which records the flood, including the Bible, it was a series of different events. The original creation laid down solid material. This was followed by 1656 years of gentle deposits. The first weeks of the flood included violent volcanic activity, putting massive amounts of volcanic material into the oceans. This created many different layers of sediment on top of the original creation layers and the Antediluvian layers. Tectonic plate movements caused uplifts, bending and twisting the layers that followed these. This caused more volcanic activity, creating more layers of sediment.

This catastrophe also invalidates all dating methods, because all known dating methods rely on uniformitarian assumptions. The actual conditions during the flood are unknown. The original created conditions are unknown.

Noah did not open the doors to the ark and release the animals until the vegetation returned. Up to this point God had not given men permission to eat animals, so this return of vegetation was the food supply. Lifespans were shorter, which is another indication of changes.

The Ice Age began because of  oceans warmed by volcanic activity and volcanic dust blocking the sun and cooling the atmosphere. Because of the water trapped in the ice, lower ocean levels allowed to men and animals to walk over the most of the earth. The experience of the ark also gave men shipbuilding skills.

At some point, hundreds of years later, the Ice Age ended and the earth stabilized. It is so sad that men today believe that by looking at the earth and the existing conditions on earth that they can understand the past. They ignore both the written records of the past and material evidence which contradicts what they choose to believe.

Author Interview with Steve Biddison — He has a new book! It’s not Fantasy … It’s Not Basketball … It’s Romance!

1. Many people say that authors can’t or don’t do well with more than one genre. You have devotionals, sports nonfiction, a fantasy series, and now a romance. What do you think prepared you or qualifies you to write these different types of books? 

I have heard that said, but I simply refuse to believe it is not possible.  I like to read a variety of genres so why can’t I write in a wide variety of genres?  I guess you can say I have a variety of interest and experiences that I want to write about.  As a Christian who has been in the ministry, I am qualified to write devotionals.  As a very successful basketball coach for over 20 years, my experiences have made my basketball coaching books very successful.  I have always enjoyed fantasy so I had to write a fantasy series.  And my latest release is a Christian romance story.  But in that book, I use both my ministry and basketball coaching experience to craft a story about God’s love and forgiveness.

2. What do you say to the charge that men can’t write romances that women will like, and how will you tempt people who don’t care for sports to read your sports-themed stories?

As far as men writing romance books that women want to read, I think Nicholas Sparks has proven that men can indeed write very successful romances.   My book, Desires of the Heart, is much more than a sports story.  It is primarily a romance between two people, one who is a coach, who both have need to experience God’s forgiveness and restoration.  As far as the background sports story that is happening throughout the novel, I believe that there are a number of women who also enjoy sports.  Besides, it might also draw in some male readers as well.  As a side note, the story of the basketball team is very closely based on a basketball team and season that I coached.  So it is very realistic.

3. Tell us a little about your “real” (Non-writing) life — family, job, church life. Does it give you inspiration for your writing? Does it get in the way of your writing, or are there times when you get help, from people or circumstances? 

At the current time, I am working for Rush Enterprises as a corporate trainer.  This puts me on the road at least three nights every week.  As hard as it has been to be away from my family almost half of every week, it has been great for my writing career.  I have at least three nights a week that I can devote to writing, not to mention airport and flying time.

For most my adult life, I was a high school varsity basketball coach.  And I might do that again.  I love the thrill of molding a team into a unit.

As much as possible, I am involved in my church.  At this point, because my job has me gone throughout the week, I am unable to get involved with midweek ministries.  However, I am very active in my home group and even while I am on the road, I try to encourage the people in my group by praying for them and sending them emails.

4. Tell us about things you enjoy — what you do for fun or personal satisfaction.

As strange as this might sound, what I usually do for fun and personal satisfaction is reading and writing.   I do enjoy a good movie now and then.  Because of my work schedule keeping me out of town the first part of every week, on most Fridays, I enjoy going to my son’s school and eating lunch with him.  He just turned 10.  It’s a special time we get to just “hang out”.

5. Tell us about working with any people who help you create your books — Do you use Beta readers? Hire an editor or proofreader? How do you get your covers?

I recently started using a proofreader for my novels.  My first novel, The Center Circle, had some real proofreading issues so after that, I needed to get another pair of eyes to read my book.  This person also serves as a beta reader.  In the future, I would like to get a couple of more beta readers though.  I know it would help if I stick to one genre.

• 6. Since you have several books out, tell us what you think works for promotion. What are your thoughts on ebooks versus print books and different ways to let people know about you and your books?

 

I will be the first to tell you that I am no marketing expert.  I’ve read all the books on marketing and though most have some really good points, I have found that there are no sure fire ways of grabbing readers attention.  I have made it a habit to advertise via twitter as I schedule tweets every day with various hashtags.  But I have discovered that it takes a long time and hundreds of tweets per hashtag to get in the position to be noticed by twitter people who are searching that hashtag.    And the more focused the hashtag is, the easier it is to get into that top tweet category.  I’ve been relatively successful in my basketball coaching series  because it is not a large market.  As  result, my coaching books go in and out of the top 10 all the time in Amazon basketball coaching books.  But again, that is a much smaller market than, say, romance.

I personally would rather read ebooks than paperback books .  And I believe that is the wave of the future.  The reason I like it so much is that I always have a plethora of books with me when I travel.  They are all on my kindle fire.  And if for some reason I don’t have my kindle with me, I always have my phone and the kindle app.  However, there is something to be said about holding a paperback book in your hand.  And slowly most all of my books are also being converted to paperback.

• 7. You wrote a blog post called “How To Survive the Worst Day of Your Life” that got an unusual number of views compared to your blog in general.  Why do you think that one had a greater-than-normal response? What feedback have you gotten on your blog that particularly encouraged you or gave you food for thought?

 

I have not been a very consistent blogger and as a result, had very few followers.  But strangely a few weeks ago, I started getting emails saying I had new followers.  So I looked at my blog stats and saw that I had almost a thousand hits that day and it was only the middle of the afternoon.  Keep in mind that the most hits I had seen in my history was 176.  I then saw that the vast majority of those hits were on a post I had written over a year ago entitled, How to Survive the Worst Day of Your Life and it was written looking at Christ and His last few days leading into the crucifixion.   It was taken from the devotional I had written following the life of Christ, entitled 10 Minutes to Better Living: Daily Applications from the Life of Christ.

Come to find out the title of the article was the exact name of a sermon that Rick Warren was going to preach that Sunday, but due to his pneumonia and then the sudden tragedy of his son’s death, passed the sermon off to one of his associate pastors.  But with that title in mind, people all over the nation started googling it and my blog was number two on that google search.  All in all over the next two days, almost  3000 people viewed my blog and several bought the ebook devotional, 10 Minutes to Better Living.

Now I know exactly how powerful a relevant blog post can be. The real challenge is writing those relevant blog posts at the time they are going to be viewed the most.

8. Tell us about your newest book. Make us want to read it.

I put my heart and soul into my newest book, Desires of the Heart.  Eric and Lacey became very real people to me and from what I have heard from a few others who have read their story, they agree.  There were times in the writing process that I would go to bed almost grieving for what they were going through and other times rejoicing for them.  That’s how real they were to me.

In a way this book is multi-faceted.   At its heart is the romance between Eric and Lacey.  One reader even described it as such a sweet romance.  But of course, their romance takes twists and turns along the way and I really feel that the reader will be drawn into each character’s struggles.

It is also a story of God’s love and forgiveness.  Eric has been running from a tragedy in his life for five years and hopes that finally getting a head basketball coach position in a small Texas town will get him to forget his past.  On the other hand, Lacey is running from the guilt of a decision she made a few years earlier as well as fighting her Christian upbringing.  I won’t give away any of the story, but let it suffice to say that God steps into their lives to show His love, forgiveness, and restoration.

And then there is the basketball team’s and the town of Miller’s subplot.  Actually, each book in this series is going to be based out of the fictional town of Miller, Texas and will have as subplot, Miller making itself into a great community again.  Of course, at the forefront of the story will be a romance taking place inside the community.   As for Desires of the Heart, the basketball subplot ironically enough is about as realistic as you can get.  I know that many people might find it unlikely that a team that had only won two games the previous year and a total of four in the past three years can in one year, can completely turn it around in one year and go several rounds in the playoffs.  It sounds like something only reserved for the movies.  However, it really happened to me as I went to a small Texas town to coach their basketball team.  Every aspect of the Miller Mustangs rise in this story is directly related to my real life experience as a basketball coach.

9. What is the “message” of your writing? (For example, is your purpose evangelistic, character-building, educational, or do you have different purposes in different books?)

The message of my writing varies from book to book.  The devotional I mentioned earlier is primarily written to bring the life and teachings of Christ to life to us today in a very practical way.  My fantasy series is mainly for entertainment with a message of the importance of using the Armor of God in our lives.  The Making of Miller series will vary by book, but will always focus on God’s love for His children.

• 10. Tell us one place you visited or person you met, that made a big impression on you, and why.

 

This past December, while I was in the middle of writing Desires of the Heart,  I had the great privilege of sitting down for lunch with Christian Romance author, Staci Stallings.  I was able to talk to her to glean ideas of what works in a romance novel.  Oh, yeah, I also one time had the privilege of meeting a lesser known author (ha ha), John Grisham.

11. Tell us one place you want to visit, or person you want to meet, and why.

One  of these days, I really want to visit Europe.  But when I do go, I want to spend a month there.  Scotland, Ireland, etc.   One place I have always wanted to visit and in a way plays an integral part in my fantasy series is Stonehenge.

12. What’s the worst trouble you ever had with getting a book written (plots, finding needed information, getting a cover done)?

In a way, I find the worst trouble I had in writing as kind of humorous.   I was in the middle of writing the first in my fantasy series.  This book is written in first person and I had to get the main character out of the way so something else could happen that he was not a part of.  In writing the chapter where he was out of the way, he met a girl that was originally supposed to be there as a minor character for that chapter only.  However, she basically told me, the author, that I would not just use her for only one chapter.  She demanded more print time.  I had to then figure out how to keep her in the story while not changing the main plot.  That was a bit of a challenge.  But I am glad I did as she has become one of my favorite characters I have written.  But I think Lacey, from Desires of the Heart, might have overtaken her.

13. What’s your next project? Tell us so we can’t wait for it to come out!

It’s kind of sad, but I have several “next” projects that I am working on or will shortly be working on.  I have another basketball coaching book I want to have out by the first of September.  I have the third book in my fantasy trilogy I need to get out before this year is done.  And I have a goal of writing the next book in The Making of Miller Romance series by Valentines of 2014.  And I am currently writing a project designed to be used by church small groups about prayer.   So, yes, I have a lot on my plate.

 

 Connect with Steve at his site: http://stevebiddison.wordpress.com/romance-novels/

Or buy his book Desires of the Heart here: http://www.amazon.com/Desires-Heart-Making-Miller-ebook/dp/B00CHXJ7WU/ (Notice that it’s a series, folks. There will be more!)

Thank you, Steve!

“Stolen” from Brad Francis, who doesn’t do reviews … The ‘Pprentices, the Puppets, the Pirates and the Potboiler

This post originally came from Christ, Fiction, and Video Games, the blog and online home of Brad Francis. Sorry, I didn’t manage to preserve all the links, but you can find them in his post linked below. Thank, you, Brad!

http://christfictionandvideogames.blogspot.com/2013/05/the-pprentices-puppets-pirates-and.html

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Ask me what sort of books I like to read.

Go ahead, ask. I’m giving you permission. We don’t have to do some big interview thing. I know you’re curious and I want to share, so go ahead and ask.

Of course, if it’s a really good book, I may not even feel worth of holding it with my hands.

You: Hi, Brad! What sort of books do you like to read?

Me: Hi, Reader! Thanks for asking! The answer is good books. That’s what I like to read. Seriously, if a book is bad, I probably won’t enjoy it. But if it’s good? I honestly don’t care about the plot or the genre; I enjoy reading good books!

It’s possible that this is a bit on the subjective side. I don’t read all genres equally. I don’t read erotica, for instance, and I rarely read Norwegian graphic novels, what with not speaking Norwegian and all. I usually don’t tend toward full-blown romances, although I enjoy romance in books if it’s well done. I would even argue that Nick Hornby, one of my all-time favorite authors, tends to write romance for guys. At least, his books often have a lot of romance in them, but all from a male perspective—and not those lumberjack type that women go for either, but real guys like me. Oh, and I would probably classify Frank Peretti’s most recent novel, Illusion, a romance as much as it is anything else, and I greatly enjoyed that book (as I tend to do with Peretti).

My point is that I honestly can’t tell if I’m going to like a book simply based on the genre. I like to branch out and, as a writer, I think that it’s beneficial for me to read a wide range of authors and genres. I think it’s beneficial for all of us to branch out at least a bit, I think. It makes us more well-rounded and maybe even  a bit better to deal with the myriad of different types of people we encounter in life.

Still, if you were to corner me at a Schlotzsky’s and demand to know whether I enjoyed reading steampunk literary tribute novels, I probably wouldn’t start jumping on a coach and start yelling about my love for the books to Oprah.

This should clear up any confusion.

But I need to be true to my philosophy, you recall, and I just literally said two paragraphs ago that I can’t tell if I’m going to like a book based on the genre. Based on the cover? Absolutely. But not the genre.

And, honestly, steampunk literary tribute novel is a pretty weird niche little genre, isn’t it? I don’t even think it gets its own bookcase at Barnes and Noble. If I asked you whether you read steampunk literary tribute novels, you’d probably say no, adding perhaps that you haven’t even heard of steampunk literary tribute novels and possibly looking about for a police officer in case the strange bearded author started to get violent.

But here’s the thing: I only get violent with authors I interview. And, even then, it’s only the threat of violence.

Oh, and here’s the other thing: I understand if you’ve never heard of a steampunk literary tribute novel before. But if you let that little fact stop you from reading the book I just finished, your world will be a little less rich than it could have been.

Longtime visitors to this blog have heard of this obscure little book category before, as one of my favorite interviews ever featured the author of such a story, Sophronia Belle Lyon. We spoke at that time about the first steampunk literary tribute novel I had ever heard of, much less read. It was called A Dodge, a Twist and a Tobacconist and I genuinely enjoyed it. The story brought together a slew of characters from authors as varied as Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, Rudyard Kipling and others to fight crime and shut down a human trafficking ring run by a mysterious figure somewhere in the shadows. Even though I’ll sheepishly admit that I hadn’t read all the classic novels that inspired the book, the great writing, exciting plot and well-developed characters drew me in and kept me hooked. I had a few minor quibbles that tempered my enjoyment of the book a bit, but I was eagerly awaiting the sequel, and Ms. Lyon knew it.

This is…not the cover to The ‘Pprentices, the Puppets and the Pirate. This is just an original working title that the author was once considering and I really loved it and this is my blog so it’s here again!

Well, the sequel is here. It’s called The ‘Pprentices, the Puppets, and the Pirates and it proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that Sophronia Belle Lyon is a master storyteller who excels at her craft. I don’t care whether you think a steampunk literary tribute novel would be your cup of tea or not; you should read this book because it is a great story, well told and full of adventure, romance and intrigue.

I read a lot. I read a lot because I love reading, but also because I’m a writer and it’s very important for writers to read and because I’m a blogger who likes to interview authors and talk about books here. I have never, in my professional career, officially endorsed another book before. I’m endorsing this one. Let’s throw the Christ, Fiction and Video Games Book Club stamp on this baby and throw it back into the pond and see how quickly it tops the New York Times bestseller list. This is one of those times in my life where it would be convenient to be Oprah.

My favorite character from the first book in the series, Oliver Twist, is front and center for this one (I might also point out that I really love Dickens and so I felt a certain affinity toward Twist from his original story as well). Everybody’s favorite orphan (with all apologies to Annie) has grown to be a master inventor, and there are indications that his old mentor may be involved in the trafficking from the first book—and worse. This is a story about rebirth, redemption and the fact that no one is beyond the love of God.

For me, reading The ‘Pprentices, the Puppets, and the Pirates was a bit like taking a creative writing course. It was a delight to see how all the different pieces of the story fit together, and I took great joy in joining Twist and his teammates through their well-crafted story in the same way you might love listening to an album where the songs build on and enhance each other or seeing how a masterful television show tells its story on many different levels throughout the seasons.

Of course, it goes without saying that Oprah endorses all of my books AND Sophronia’s books. It goes without saying because it’s not true…but that’s just a detail.

Another of my favorite authors is JK Rowling, in part because I love how many different story elements she brought full-circle throughout the series, how a minor detail in the first Harry Potter book could recur in a brilliant, unexpected way in the sixth or seventh. Sorry if I’ve lost some of you. There was so much of this going on in theHarry Potter books that it didn’t all work, but when it did? I love that stuff, and it’s why Jo Rowling is one of my all-time favorite storytellers. Plotwise, Sophronia Belle Lyon’sAlexander Legacy series has absolutely nothing to do with Rowling’s fantasy novels. But you strip away all the detail, all the twists and risks and successes, and what you have in both cases are natural born storytellers, weaving tales full of memorable characters. Lyon could release a novella about Oliver Twist and Phoebe Moore-Campbell making a BLT sandwich and I’d write it because I know it would be a fine example of storycraft, just as millions would rush out and buy Harry Potter and the Trip to Costco were it to be released.

You can buy Death Eaters in bulk here!

Like I said, I love great stories. In The ‘Pprentices, the Puppets, and the Pirates, Sophronia Belle Lyon gives us a great story. I heartily recommend it. I realize I may be setting the bar of expectations unreasonably high, and that’s not my intention, but if you sit down with this book, sit back and let it entertain and tell its tale, I can’t imagine you being disappointed.

I don’t care if you join the legions of steampunk literary tribute novel fans or not. But I do think you should become a fan of Ms. Lyon. I don’t think she’ll let you down.

Posted by Brad Francis at 10:05 PM

Guest Post and Free ebook: Persistent Love by Laura J. Marshall

Download on Kindle ( http://amzn.com/B00CHAE3QS)

Free Tuesday May 14th and Wednesday May 15th

Persistent Love:

Christian Romantic Suspense Novella set in 1685, England.

Fear has been Tara’s constant companion since age nine when she witnessed her mother’s murder. Tara’s father moves his family to the ancient castle of Raven’s Cliff, far from the ships that could carry her back to India and the answers she believes lie there. Andrew offers her friendship and guides her gently to the One who will give her peace. Will she find hope for something other than revenge?

A Brief Q&A with the Author, Laura J. Marshall.

Q: What is your favorite genre to write and also to read?

 

A: I am a romance girl all the way. I love to read a good romance, preferably set in the pre-1900’s and in England. I am learning along the way, though, the merits of contemporary romance and suspense. I like to write nonfiction (devotionals) and historical romantic suspense. I am working on a contemporary Christmas story, however, and I am loving it!

 

Laura J. Marshall is the full-time mother of five sons and part-time writer and blogger. She operates a popular blog called The Old Stone Wall. Laura is the best-selling author of the Battle Cry Devotional Series. Visit www.LauraJMarshall.com to find out more about Laura’s books.

When My Heart Is Overwhelmed — Post by Mary C.Findley

Two people today posted the same statement on Facebook. They said they felt overwhelmed and didn’t know how to handle responsibilities. My immediate impulse was to quote the verse that says, “From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.” (Psalm 61:2) Lately I’ve been hearing people share about the need from more income, the need to hurry and get things accomplished, the frustration about not being able to to the good work God has called us to fast enough for various reasons.

My husband reminded me yesterday about the time spent in prayer by great men of the faith — Jesus Christ Himself spent all night in prayer. David wrote songs of prayer by the scores. Martin Luther, Jonathan Edwards, and many others spoke about how, the busier the day was going to be, the more hours, in proportion, they needed to spend in prayer. These are people who didn’t have the internet to do research, a computer to type with, or even, in many cases, running water or electricity. But they accomplished more than we do.

So Ihave to go back to the story of Martha and Mary. Martha was doing a good work, showing hospitality. Mary was sitting around being lazy. Wait. No. She was sitting listening to the teaching of Christ. She chose the good part. Jesus said it wouldn’t be taken from her. So, if we get so busy we say we don’t have enough time to do what needs to be done, who took that time away from us? We did it to ourselves, when we took away our time in prayer and sitting at Christ’s feet.

But we need to take action too, to use what God gives us to do His work. The morning message at our church was about the three servants who were given talents. They got five, three, and one, based on their abilities. Five talent guy wasn’t jealous of the other two because they had less work or less responsibility. And Three wasn’t treated any differently than five when they came to report to the master and receive their rewards. They were each rewarded according to their abilities and what they’d done with them.

What happened to One Talent Guy? He wasn’t overwhelmed. The master knew what his abilities were, so he didn’t give him something too hard. One Talent Guy just decided to blame his failure on his boss. He insulted the man who had entrusted him with responsibility. He said he “knew” his master, but could only claim he was scary and greedy. The one talent, with which he did nothing, was taken away, and Five Talent guy got it. One Talent Guy got tossed out into outer darkness. Pretty stiff punishment for just not doing anything, huh?

People talk about sins of commission and sins of omission. One of our big sins of omission was what I talked about at the beginning, not praying enough or spending enough time in God’s presence. Apparently another big one is not doing anything with what God gives you. God knew One Talent guy. God gave him a job. He didn’t hang over him and hound him to make sure it got done.

But One Talent Guy screwed up, and he tried to blame his master. What that means is that he didn’t know the master. So he is like the people pretend they are believers, but who don’t spend the time getting to know God in prayer and study of His Word. Be careful that you know your Master. If you don’t, you might end up like One Talent Guy.

Photo of El Capitan from National Parks Services.

The Further Adventures of a Twitterpated Journey through Social Media by Mary C. Findley

 

Quite awhile back I posted a blog about my beginning to use Twitter to help promote our books. I am still struggling with writing tweets, and I know many others are, so I wanted to share a few “epiphanies” that have come to me in my struggles. Yes, you have to keep struggling, because Twitter works.

Don’t let people tell you everybody hates sales tweets on Twitter. Twitter is becoming the new site for journalism,  news, and all kinds of media. It’s not just “I’m bored at school” and “that guy is so cute” anymore. It’s full of Bible study fans, current events fans, fiction fans, homeschoolers, and people interested in every subject you could think of to write about.  And don’t let people tell you that you should never follow other authors. People looking at Twitter look for interesting stuff. Readers are looking for writers. I can’t come to any other conclusion, because most of our blog followers and apparently book buyers come from Twitter, and I follow and retweet lots of other authors.

First, both Smashwords and Amazon have tweet buttons on each book page. You can hit that little bird, and an automatic tweet comes up. It’s ok to just send that critter right out as is. You even have some space to edit or add some original things, like hashtags, pricing, or a short quote from the book or a reviewer.  But you don’t have to add anything.

Twitter also sends you emails saying “so-and-so retweeted your tweet.” This makes it easy to click the link to so-and-so and go to that profile and retweet a couple of his. Easy return of helpfulness to a person who took the trouble to retweet you.

Another kind of email is the one that says “So-and-so and six others have tweets for you.” These are recent tweets of people you follow anyway, usually, so you can retweet them right from your email.

You can join a tweeting group. There are quite a few on facebook. Some make a file into which people paste daily tweets. You can paste yours there as well if you commit to retweeting the others. They are supposed to retweet you also, Others just make a comment thread with a daily list of tweets. If you add yours, you should retweet the others in the list. A third kind of group makes up a special hashtag, for example #twitgrp, and you can do a search for that on Twitter and retweet everyone in your group who includes that tag. They can also find you and retweet you, without even going to facebook.

If you have many books like we do, and many sites where you book is sold, consider tweeting a group of them from one site. You can tweet your blog if they are linked there. You can tweet from Kobo, for example, where they have our books in a group by each author. I can tweet Sophronia Belle Lyon’s list there, and Mary C. Findley’s list, and Michael J. Findley’s list, and I have let the twitterverse know about all our books in three tweets.

Yes, it’s still a good idea to write original tweets. If you have multiple subjects or genres that you write about, try to concentrate on writing tweets for just one subject at a time. “Historical Romance” tweets Monday, “SciFi” tweets Tuesday, “Bible Study” Wednesday, “Literary Adventure” Thursday, and so on. Keep them generic so you can keep reusing them, but don’t always tweet the same ones.

Tweet lines from your books. Tweet lines from reviews. Tweet hashtags, to tell people what categories your books fall into. Twitter tells you what hashtags are trending. That means people are searching for #offbeatromance, or #electionpolitics or  #deathofchild. (I made those up. I don’t know what the real hastags of the day might be.) Take some time to check for those trending hashtags and include them in your tweets for that day.

My next step is going to have to be figuring out some scheduler program like Hootsuite. If anybody is out there reading this blog, I would love to hear your thoughts on the best, easiest, fastest scheduler and how you make it work.

 

 

 

 

 

More Reviews of Christian Books You Ought to Read!

 “As automatic as panicking.”, April 29, 2013

Joana James has a secret formula for instant Christian success. Well, no, it’s not instant, but it will work. These “wisdom bursts” were tougher to write than the first book in the series, I bet, but so necessary. We want to worry, we want to pick up that burden we were supposed to let Jesus have, we want to ask friends instead of asking God. James sets all these normal human behaviors up like tin cans on a fence ail and shoots them right off, pop, pop, pop. Through dark times, through tough times, through the “over and over” times we fail to be like God, we have to listen to these simple, practical lessons. Get up. Go on. Trust God.

http://www.amazon.com/Trusting-God-Your-Future-Devotional/dp/1481262475/

 Faith Makes a Way, April 27, 2013

I hoped the adventure part of this story would get rolling a little sooner, but the reality of life is that it isn’t all fun and fantasy. I loved the part where Patty had to fix up the boat. And the whole point about temptation and deception is that it catches us off guard, so this story is both fantastic and realistic. There are plenty of creatures in Kingsley to delight and keep the interest of young readers. It seems like a perfect “read to me, mommy” kind of story.

http://www.amazon.com/Patty-Legend-Kingsley-Cynthia-Willow/dp/1478263180

 Perfect Love Casts Out Fear, April 23, 2013

This historical suspense romance has lots to like. Some of the characters reminded me of the Emma Thompson movie version of Sense and Sensibility. Andrew is steadfast and sweet like Edward. Kate, Tara’s little sister, is boisterous like Margaret. Tara is her own person, though. You can feel her fear and sympathize with her keeping life at arm’s length. God, Andrew, and her family all practice persistent love through the terrors of the past and present.

http://www.amazon.com/Persistent-Love-A-Novella-ebook/dp/B00CHAE3QS/